Mutharika OK’s bill, new flag in just 2 weeks

Thursday, 29 July 2010 18:04

Written by ABEL WEZZI

LILONGWE—Opposition to changing the country’s national colors has produced no tangible result as Malawi’s president has now given a nod to changes to the old flag.

Speaker of the national assembly told a presser in the capital Lilongwe Thursday that the bills sent to the president earlier in the week were good to go.

“Parliament sent the bills on Tuesday and it means His Excellency the President has had the bills for two days…He has assented to all bills,” he said.

Chimunthu pointed out that there was some confusion earlier, saying Section 73 (1) of the Constitution states that the President should assent or reject a bill within 21 days after it is presented to him and not from the day parliament passed the bill.

“Let me say that after a bill is passed we liaise with the Office of Solicitor General to make any corrections or amendments. It is only after that we send [it] to the president,” he said.

When he returned Wednesday from the Africa Union summit in Uganda, the bills were on Pres Bingu wa Mutharika desk for him to take a look at. Speaking for the first time about the issue, Mutharika made his case for the new flag, saying it reflected a new Malawi, 46 years after independence.

Contrary to the opinion of a wide cross section of the population that said there was no need to change the flag, Mutharika claimed that consultations by his Ministry of Information and Civic Education revealed that people appreciated the need to have a new flag. But there has been no independent verification of the government claims.

Those opposed to the move were in the government’s view just “difficult”, the president said.

Speaker Banda said the next step after the president has agreed to the proposed new flag is to have it gazetted and by early to mid August, a new flag will be hoisted at Capital Hill.--maravipost